You'll probably know the 'boiling frog' story.

The idea is that if a frog is put suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out, but if the frog is put in tepid water which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not realise the danger and will be cooked to death. 

It's used as a warning for the inability or unwillingness of people to react to or be aware of sinister threats that arise gradually rather than suddenly.

It's often, maybe even usually, difficult in life to point to exact times when things change - and that is often strategically used by the powers-that-be to get things through.

They say 'let's just wait'  because they know that the waiting itself allows for things to change - slowly but surely. They know people get used to lack of accountability, lack of integrity, dishonesty, declining services, declining quality over time - that they have other things on their mind and negative change becomes normalised.   This can cause a steady rise in depression, anxiety and a sense of powerlessness (which is a very useful state for us to be in if the Powerful want to get things done without challenge. Win win)

A 'sincere' apology filled with performance humility can be enough to buy the needed time.. enough time.. one more time... until things change and people feel there's really nothing they can do to hold power to account any more - that it's pointless to try.

Before you know it, you're living in a climate where we don't have independent news; the calibre of TV programming has declined and politicians don't have to resign for behaviour that - not that long ago - would have been career ending without a doubt.

If you don't actively create the conditions for something to thrive, then it won't  - whether that is a garden, whether that is quality programming, whether that is independent journalism that holds power to account.

The idea of democracy is not an object you point at. It's something we create the conditions for, nurture and protect - together.

If the conditions are systematically undermined, then democracy starts to ail and flounder.

All politicians need to be held to account - across the political spectrum. 

A healthy democracy absolutely requires scrutiny and accountability of those who hold public office.

Same with creativity. If you don't look after the conditions to help creative projects thrive, then they won't.  If you withdraw oxygen and resource and prioritise profit over quality then, before you know it, the viewing public are not really getting the quality and diversity of programme they did in the past.

So, let's not be boiling frogs! Let's protect Channel 4 and let it thrive - so that it can deliver its remit - quality, bold, risk-taking programming; independent news and current affairs programmes that keeps on showing us when the temperature is rising.

 

Please do continue to sign and share our petition across all your social media 

thanks